“Goodbye to the old days,” Nikki Giovanni wrote in a book.
People talk about how NBA All-Star Games used to be more competitive. They want players to try harder. But times have changed. Today’s players are more athletic and play a tough schedule. The All-Star Game is more for fun now.
The NBA has tried many things to make the All-Star Game exciting again. But it’s hard to make an exhibition game competitive. This year, they had a mini-tournament format, but it didn’t make much of a difference. The real competition comes in the playoffs, not in an All-Star Game.
Next year, the NBA could honor the Harlem Globetrotters and the New York Renaissance team. These historic teams were important in basketball history. This could be a way to recognize Black history in basketball.
Learning about the history of these teams might make players take the game more seriously. It would be a meaningful tribute and a way to celebrate the Black men who played for these iconic teams.
The All-Star Game is just for fun, but honoring these teams would be a powerful tribute to basketball history.
Vocabulary List:
- Competitive /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv/ (adjective): Involving competition; able to compete.
- Exhibition /ˌɛksɪˈbɪʃən/ (noun): A public display or demonstration of something.
- Tribute /ˈtrɪbjuːt/ (noun): An act statement or gift intended to show gratitude respect or admiration.
- Athletic /æθˈlɛtɪk/ (adjective): Physically strong fit and active.
- Recognize /ˈrɛkəɡnaɪz/ (verb): Identify or acknowledge something or someone as being valid or important.
- Meaningful /ˈmiːnɪŋfəl/ (adjective): Having significance or purpose.
How much do you know?
